MacMillan's Reading Books eBook

in their most important concerns, naturally acquired
consideration and influence in society. They
were advanced to honours which had been considered
hitherto as the peculiar rewards of military virtue.
They were entrusted with offices of the highest dignity
and most extensive power. Thus, another profession
than that of arms came to be introduced among the
laity, and was reputed honourable. The functions
of civil life were attended to. The talents requisite
for discharging them were cultivated. A new road
was opened to wealth and eminence. The arts and
virtues of peace were placed in their proper rank,
and received their due recompense.

While improvements, so important with respect to the
state of society and the administration of justice,
gradually made progress in Europe, sentiments more
liberal and generous had begun to animate the nobles.
These were inspired by the spirit of chivalry, which,
though considered, commonly, as a wild institution,
the effect of caprice, and the source of extravagance,
arose naturally from the state of society at that
period, and had a very serious influence in refining
the manners of the European nations. The feudal
state was a state of almost perpetual war, rapine,
and anarchy, during which the weak and unarmed were
exposed to insults or injuries. The power of
the sovereign was too limited to prevent these wrongs;
and the administration of justice too feeble to redress
them. The most effectual protection against violence
and oppression was often found to be that which the
valour and generosity of private persons afforded.
The same spirit of enterprise which had prompted so
many gentlemen to take arms in defence of the oppressed
pilgrims in Palestine, incited others to declare themselves
the patrons and avengers of injured innocence at home.
When the final reduction of the Holy Land under the
dominion of infidels put an end to these foreign expeditions,
the latter was the only employment left for the activity
and courage of adventurers. To check the insolence
of overgrown oppressors; to rescue the helpless from
captivity; to protect or to avenge women, orphans,
and ecclesiastics, who could not bear arms in their
own defence; to redress wrongs, and to remove grievances,
were deemed acts of the highest prowess and merit.
Valour, humanity, courtesy, justice, honour, were
the characteristic qualities of chivalry. To
these was added religion, which mingled itself with
every passion and institution during the Middle Ages,
and, by infusing a large proportion of enthusiastic
zeal, gave them such force as carried them to romantic
excess. Men were trained to knighthood by a long
previous discipline; they were admitted into the order
by solemnities no less devout than pompous; every
person of noble birth courted that honour; it was
deemed a distinction superior to royalty; and monarchs
were proud to receive it from the hands of private
gentlemen.